Moving to Serbia from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Serbia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Serbia, you would find that Serbia is 17.1% cheaper than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR280,000 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly RSD6,480,000 in Serbia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Serbian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Belgrade averages 62°F vs 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Saudi Arabia and Serbia.
What does your salary buy?
SAR280,000 → RSD6,480,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Serbia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 64.9% more
Groceries
pay 17.5% less
Transportation
pay 9.8% more
Housing
pay 36.9% less
Childcare
pay 28.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 48.3% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Serbia cost about 7% less than cities in Saudi Arabia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Serbia compared to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Serbia leads in road traffic deaths.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
Serbia performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Serbia leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Saudi Arabia performs better than Serbia across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Saudi Arabia generally does better on family life, though Serbia leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016), Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia (2017). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riyadh | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 45°/33°F (7°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 71°/53°F (22°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 53°/39°F (11°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Belgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Serbia. To live, work, or study long-term in Serbia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Serbia's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Serbia
Visa Required
Serbia passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Serbia than Saudi Arabia?
On average Serbia is about 17% less expensive than Saudi Arabia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Serbia?
Budget about RSD1,620,000 for 3 months in Serbia (based on a SAR280,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Serbia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Serbia: 33.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Serbia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Serbia safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Serbia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Serbia is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Serbia compared to Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 31.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Serbia, compared to 34.1 in Saudi Arabia. Serbia scores 72 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Serbia compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Belgrade is 62°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Belgrade receives around 26.9 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Serbia?
The official language in Serbia is Serbian. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
